[HowTo] Alternate way of saving battery when using 4G/LTE

Yoni

@c4pp4
Hello c4pp4
I had made some battery tests to see how efficient your method is (I didn't actually use your script), and I had found that going down to 2G does increase battery life but that having the data connection turned off is actually more efficient, and I was wonderring if you are able to create a similar script that could enable/disable the data connection, preferebley without the need to actually unlock the phone, so that when the screen is turned on it will connect to the internet so that communications could come through?
I would had made one myself but I have no idea how to.
Here are the battery tests, starting with 4G with data on:

2G with data on:

And 4G with data turned off:

You can see further details here: https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6971/wifi-mobile-data-on-off-according-to-screen-state/29

c4pp4

@yoni said in [HowTo] Alternate way of saving battery when using 4G/LTE:

enable/disable the data connection

Do you mean turn it off at all? No connection to receive a call? What is sim slot number in your case?

without the need to actually unlock the phone

I think that's no problem.

Yoni

@c4pp4
I didn't mean flight mode, rather just to have the mobile data turned on and off accordingf to the screen state if possible, if not then according to the phone being locked/unlocked.
That will be so amzing if you can create such a script!
Sim slot 1 out of 2 (Xiaomi mi A2)

c4pp4

@Yoni
After all I didn't need to know the sim slot number.
Here is your script for testing:

#!/bin/bash

interface=com.canonical.Unity.Screen
member=DisplayPowerStateChange

dbus-monitor --system "type=signal,interface='${interface}',member='${member}'" |
while read -r line; do
	if [[ ${line} == *"int32 0" ]]; then
		read
		dbus-send --type=method_call --dest=com.ubuntu.connectivity1 /com/ubuntu/connectivity1/Private org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.Set string:com.ubuntu.connectivity1.Private string:MobileDataEnabled variant:boolean:false
	elif [[ ${line} == *"int32 1" ]]; then
		read
		dbus-send --type=method_call --dest=com.ubuntu.connectivity1 /com/ubuntu/connectivity1/Private org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.Set string:com.ubuntu.connectivity1.Private string:MobileDataEnabled variant:boolean:true
	fi
done

domubpkm

@c4pp4 Hello. I tested your script : it works half for me (Volla OTA-20) ;

Cellular data is not disabled when the screen locks (and turns off) AUTOMATICALLY after the inactivity time set in the system settings.
The script works when you MANUALLY lock the phone by pressing the dedicated side switch.

Tested and verified by sending an email to myself: case 1: email received black screen ; case 2: email received only when the screen is turned back on by pressing the side switch, which is normal

domubpkm

I don't like to press the side switch unnecessarily (so as to save it) to turn off the screen. It make me think that, in my opinion, it lacks the option in the "system" drop down menu: "lock and turn off screen", there is only currently the "lock" option (there is a delay before the screen turns off
), or a small .click program, for example like Lock it : Screen off on android, which would be very useful if a developer is able to build that

Keneda

@c4pp4
Could you make an app your scripts ?
I mean a "battery saver" app on openstore would have success

c4pp4

@domubpkm said in [HowTo] Alternate way of saving battery when using 4G/LTE:

Cellular data is not disabled when the screen locks (and turns off) AUTOMATICALLY after the inactivity time set in the system settings.

fixed

c4pp4

@keneda said in [HowTo] Alternate way of saving battery when using 4G/LTE:

Could you make an app your scripts ?

I'm sorry, I'm not going to do it now. Maybe someone else.

domubpkm

@c4pp4 Thank you. It is fully functional now. Mails are retrieved automatically once the screen is turned on and combined with the work of @jezek , any mms not received when the screen is off should also be retrievable (untested) once the screen is turned back on. And that's saving battery: useful script

c4pp4

@domubpkm @Yoni
I've tried the latest script and found out turning cellular data off is not saving battery in my case. I've stopped the script and turned it off from menu and it was the same - not saving.
I've switched back to saving with 2G script and it works without problem.

domubpkm

@c4pp4 ??? Weird. In any case, for the Volla, it is the cellular data that consumes battery power. And your script can help.

Yoni

@c4pp4
Sorry for the late reply.
I didn't have time to check the script yet, and I'm quite surprised by your results, but I would like to thank you very much for your script!
Are you able to see the signal strengths of 2G and 4G in your area to see if that might account for the lack of battery savings?
As you could see in my test turning off the data in 4G quadrupled my battery life when I manually turned it off.

c4pp4

@yoni There is no lack of battery savings when on 2G. In my case it saves the battery power when using the first script to switch between 4G and 2G. It doesn't save battery power when I turn cellular data off completely. It's weird and I don't know why.

Yoni

@c4pp4
If you have another Android or iPhone to check the signal strength with the same Sim that you use on your UT, there are apps that can show you the actual reception in dBm, so for me at home 4G is at around -90dBm and 2G is around -70dBm.

Yoni

@c4pp4
Can I also ask how did you conclude that there is no savings without mobile data on, was it during normal use? Are you able to check it during a 12/24 hour period when the phone is just sitting idle and untouched?

c4pp4

@yoni I did that when it was idle.

Yoni

@c4pp4
Are you able to do some testing for at least 12 hours from a full battery to see the differences please?
And are you able to get the dBm numbers for 2G and 4G if possible please?
Are you using an email/IM (Dekko, Teleports..) client that works in the background?
I'm really preplexed that your'e not getting any improvements in battery life. this method had worked with many phones that I tested including iPhones using 4G.

domubpkm

This script is useful indeed, but it currently has its limits : don't forget to stop it (STOP script name) when cellular data must remain activated in continuous screen off : RADIO app, OTA update, download.... And then restart it (START script name) when you want to use it again.

Maybe the script can be improved ?

c4pp4

@yoni ~~Maybe it was something to do with TELEports or RC image because now it's without problem and before the latest test I updated both.~~
I think it's some kind of bug because I forgot to turn off script and that's why it was saving battery. In my case when 4G is set and turned off cellular data - it's not saving battery. When 2G is set and turned off cellular data - it's saving battery. I think it shouldn't matter what is set.

@domubpkm I'm not going to do that. Use the first or second script if you need connection.